Prototype design of cable suspended haptic interface

by Moody, Russell H.

Abstract (Summary)

The goal of this thesis is to present the prototype design of a Cable Suspended HapticInterface (CaSuHI). The word haptics refers to the sense of touch and force in a remote or computer generated virtual environment. The CaSuHI is an in-parallel redundantly-actuated robot used as a haptic interface. The CaSuHI is operated by the human hand and is similar to a joystick. The difference between the CaSuHI and a joystick is the force reflection provided by the CaSuHI in six degrees of freedom. The kinematics, statics, tension optimization, and workspace definition are presented for a planar and a spatial CaSuHI. Motor selection is made based on the kinematic model and the motor characteristics. The general controller is presented for interfacing the CaSuHI with the virtual or remote world. The controller is described for both rate and pose control. The CaSuHI has the ability to be modified for use in industry, education, and medicine.